“What！“criedHeliodore，“wouldyougoandleavemehere？Then，Olaf，bythegodsmyforefathersworshippedfortenthousandyears，andbythegodsIworship，I’llfindameanstofollowyouwithinanhour。
Oh！EmpressoftheWorld，thereisanotherworldyoudonotrule，andtherewe’llcallyoutoaccount。“
NowIrenestaredatHeliodore，andHeliodorestaredbackather，andthesightwasverystrange。
“Atleastyouhavespirit，girl。Butthinknotthatshallsaveyou，forthere’snoroomforbothofusonearth。“
“IfIgoitmayprovewideenough，Augusta，“Ibrokein。
“Nay，youshallnotgo，Olaf，atleastnotyet。Myordersarethatyoudo/not/falluponyoursword。AsforthisEgyptianwitch，well，presentlymypeoplewillbehere；thenwewillsee。“
NowIdrewHeliodoretothetrunkofthegreattreewhichstoodnearbyandsetmyselfinfrontofher。
“Whatareyouabouttodo？“askedtheEmpress。
“IamabouttofightyoureasterncursuntilIfall，fornonorthernmanwillliftaswordagainstme，evenonyourorders，Augusta。WhenI
amdown，thisladymustplayherownpartasGodshallguideher。“
“Havenofear，Olaf，“Heliodoresaidgently，“Iwearadagger。“
Scarcelyhadshespokenwhentherewasasoundofmanyfeet。ThemanwhomIhadwoundedhadrunshoutingtowardsthepalace，rousingthesoldiers，boththoseonwatchandthoseintheirquarters。Nowthesebegantoarriveandtogatherinthegladebeforetheclumpoftrees，forsomeguardswhohadheardtheclashofarmsguidedthemtotheplace。Theywereofallracesandsundryregiments，Greeks，Byzantines，Bulgars，Armenians，so-calledRomans，andwiththemanumberofBritonsandnorthernmen。
SeeingtheEmpressand，nearby，myselfstandingwithdrawnswordagainstthetreeshelteringtheladyHeliodore，alsoonthegroundthosewhomIhadcutdown，theyhalted。Oneoftheirofficersaskedwhattheymustdo。
“Killmethatmanwhohasslainmyservants，orstay——takehimliving，“screamedtheAugusta。
Nowamongthosewhohadgatheredwasacertainlieutenantofmyown，ablue-eyed，flaxen-hairedNorwegiangiantofthenameofJodd。Thismanlovedmelikeabrother，Ibelievebecauseonceithadbeenmyfortunetosavehislife。AlsooftenIhadprovedhisfriendwhenhewasintrouble，forinthosedaysJoddgotdrunkattimes，andwhenhewasdrunklostmoneywhichhecouldnotpay。
Now，whenhesawmycase，InotedthatthisJodd，who，ifsober，wasnofoolatall，althoughheseemedsoslowandstupid，whisperedsomethingtoacomradewhowaswithhim，whereonthemanturnedandfledawaylikeanarrow。FromthedirectioninwhichhewentIguessedatoncethathewasrunningtothebarrackscloseathand，wherewerestationedquitethreehundredNorthmen，allofwhomwereundermycommand。
ThesoldierspreparedtoobeytheAugusta’sorders，astheywereboundtodo。Theydrewtheirswordsandanumberofthemadvancedtowardsmeslowly。ThenitwasthatJodd，withafewNorthmen，movedbetweenthemandme，and，salutingtheEmpress，saidinhisbadGreek，“Yourpardon，Augusta，butwhyareweaskedtokillourowngeneral？“
“Obeymyorders，fellow，“sheanswered。
“Yourpardon，Augusta，“saidthestolidJodd，“butbeforewekillourowngeneral，whomyoucommandedustoobeyinallthings，wewouldknowwhywemustkillhim。Itisacustomofourcountrythatnomanshallbekilleduntilhehasbeenheard。GeneralOlaf，“anddrawinghisshortswordforthefirsttime，hesalutedmeinform，“bepleasedtoexplaintouswhyyouaretobekilledortakenprisoner。“
Nowatumultarose，andaeunuchinthebackgroundshoutedtothesoldierstoobeytheEmpress’sorders，whereonagainsomeofthembegantoadvance。
“Ifnoanswerisgiventomyquestion，“wentonJoddinhisslow，bull-likevoice，“IfearthatothersmustbekilledbesidestheGeneralOlaf。Ho！Northmen。Tome，Northmen！Ho！Britons，tome，Britons！Ho！Saxons，tome，Saxons！Ho！allwhoarenotaccursedGreeks。TomeallwhoarenotaccursedGreeks！“
NowateachcryofJodd’smenleaptforwardfromthegatheringcrowd，and，tothenumberoffiftyormoreinall，marshalledthemselvesbehindhim，thoseofeachnationstandingshouldertoshoulderinlittlegroupsbeforeme。
“Ismyquestiontobeanswered？“askedJodd。“Because，ifnot，althoughwebebutoneagainstten，IthinkthateretheGeneralOlafiscutdownortakentherewillbegoodfightingthisnight。“
ThenIspoke，saying，“CaptainJodd，andcomrades，Iwillansweryourquestion，andifI
speakwronglylettheAugustacorrectme。Thisisthetrouble。TheladyHeliodorehereismyaffiancedwife。Wewerespeakingtogetherinthisgardenastheaffianceddo。TheEmpress，who，unseenbyus，washiddenbehindthosetrees，overheardourtalk，which，forreasonsbestknowntoherself，forinittherewasnaughtoftreasonoranymatteroftheState，madehersoangrythatshesetherservantsontokillme。Thinkingthemmurderersorrobbers，Idefendedmyself，andtheretheylie，saveone，whofledawaywounded。ThentheEmpressappearedandorderedmetokilltheladyHeliodore。Comrades，lookonherwhomtheEmpressorderedmetokill，andsaywhether，weresheyouraffianced，youwouldkillhereventopleasetheEmpress，“and，steppingtooneside，IshowedthemHeliodoreinallherlovelinessstandingagainstthetree，thedrawndaggerinherhand。
NowfromthosethatJoddhadsummonedtherewentuparoarof“/No/，“
whileeventherestweresilent。Irenesprangforwardandcried，“Aremyorderstobecanvassedanddebated？Obey！Cutthismandownortakehimliving，Icarenotwhich，andwithhimallwhoclingtohim，orto-morrowyouhang，everyoneofyou。“
Nowthesoldierswhohadgatheredalsobegantoformupundertheirofficers，fortheysawthatbeforethemwaswaranddeath。Bythistimetheyweremany，andasthealarmspreadminutebyminutemorearrived。
“Yieldorweattack，“saidhewhohadtakencommandofthem。
“Idonotthinkthatweyield，“answeredJodd；andjustthentherecameasoundofmenrunninginorderedcompaniesfromthedirectionoftheNorthmen’sbarrackswereJodd’smessengerhadtoldhistale。
“Iam/sure/thatwedonotyield，“continuedJodd，andsuddenlyraisedthewildnorthernwar-cry，“/Valhalla，Valhalla！VictoryorValhalla！/“
Instantlyfromthreehundredthroats，abovethesoundoftherunningfeetthatdrewevernearer，cametheansweringshoutof“/Valhalla，Valhalla！VictoryorValhalla！/“ThenoutofthegloomupdashedtheNorthmen。
Nowothershoutsaroseof“Olaf！Olaf！Olaf！WhereisourGeneralOlaf？WhereisRed-Sword？“
“Here，comrades！“roaredJodd，anduptheycamethosefierce，beardedmen，gladwiththelustofbattle，andrangedthemselvesbycompaniesbeforeus。AgainthegreatvoiceofJoddwasheard，calling，“Empress，doyougiveusOlafandhisgirlandswearbyyourChristthatnoharmshallcometothem？Ormustwetakethemforourselves？“
“Never！“shecriedback。“TheonlythingIgivetoyouisdeath。Ontotheserebels，soldiers！“
Now，seeingwhatmustcome，Istrovetospeak，butJoddshoutedagain，“Besilent，Olaf。Forthishouryouarenotourgeneral；youareaprisonerwhomitpleasesustorescue。Ringhimround，Northmen，ringhimround。BringtheEmpress，too；shewillserveashostage。“
Nowsomeofthemdrewbehindus。Thentheybegantoadvance，takingusalongwiththem，andI，whowasskilledinwar，sawtheirpurpose。
Theyweredrawingoutintotheopenglade，wheretheycouldseetofight，andwheretheirflankswouldbeprotectedbyastreamofwaterontheonehandandadensebeltoftreesontheother。
InherragetheEmpressthrewherselfupontheground，buttwogreatfellowsliftedherupbythearmsandthrustheralongwithus。
Marchingthus，wereachedthepointthattheyhadchosen，fortheGreekswereinconfusionandnotreadytoattack。Therewehalted，justonthecrestofalittleriseofground。
“Augusta，“Isaid，“inthenameofGod，Iprayyoutogiveway。TheseNorthmenhateyourByzantines，andwilltakethischancetopayofftheirscores。Moreover，theyloveme，andwilldietoamaneretheyseemeharmed，andthenhowshallIprotectyouinthefray？“
Sheonlyglaredatmeandmadenoanswer。
Theattackbegan。BythistimefifteenhundredorsooftheImperialtroopshadcollected，andagainstthemstood，perhaps，fourhundredmeninall，sothattheoddsweregreat。Still，theyhadnohorsemenorarchers，andourpositionwasverygood，alsowewereNorthmenandtheywereGrecianscum。
OncametheByzantines，screaming“Irene！Irene！“inaformationofcompaniesrangedonebehindtheother，fortheirobjectwastobreakinourcentrebytheirweight。Joddsaw，andgavesomeorders；verygoodorders，Ithoughtthem。Thenhesheathedhisshort-sword，seizedthegreatbattle-axewhichwashisfavouriteweapon，andplacedhimselfinfrontofourtriplelinethatwaitedindeadsilence。
Uptheslopesurgedthecharge，andonthecrestofitthebattlemet。
AtfirsttheweightoftheGreekspressedusback，but，oh！theywentdownbeforetheNorthmen’ssteellikecornbeforethesickle，andsoonthatrushwasstayed。Breasttobreasttheyhewedandthrust，andsofearfulwasthefraythatIrene，forgettingherrage，clungtometoprotecther。
Thefighthungdoubtful。Asinadream，IwatchedthegiantJoddcutdownagorgeouscaptain，theaxeshearingthroughhisgoldenarmourasthoughitwerebutsilk。Iwatchedacomradeofmyownfallbeneathaspear-thrust。IgazedatthefaceofHeliodore，whostaredwide-eyedattheredscene，andatthewhite-lippedIrene，whowasclingingtomyarm。Nowwewerebeingpressedbackagain，wewhoatthispointhadatmosttwohundredmen，someofwhomweredown，tobeartheonslaughtoftwicethatnumber，and，dowhatIwould，myfingersstrayedtomysword-hilt。